Richards: Villa should get Charlie Austin
Aston Villa defender Micah Richards believes the club should go after Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin if they lose Christian Benteke this summer.
Benteke's future is the subject of much speculation with Liverpool believed to be preparing a bid for the 24-year-old Belgium striker.
Richards, who joined on a free transfer last month after leaving Manchester City, believes Villa should pursue Austin should Benteke depart.
The 26-year-old scored 18 goals last season, but his own future is uncertain following the Hoops' relegation from the Premier League last season, with Leicester having had a £12million bid turned down.
And Richards said: "Charlie Austin has scored a lot of goals hasn't he? I think we just need a goalscorer if we were to get rid of Christian.
"Some of the games I watched towards the end of last season, he was winning games on his own.
"With the signings we have been linked with, it seems positive but, like anywhere, if you lose your main striker, it's always going to be tough to replace."
Richards, who spent last season on loan with Fiorentina, has meanwhile revealed he turned down the chance to join Italian giants Inter Milan in order to return to the Premier League and Villa.
Inter and former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini was keen to link up again with the 27-year-old.
Richards was also offered a deal to stay at Manchester City but claims the lure of first-team football - and Sherwood - convinced him Villa was the place to be.
He said: "I got offered a four or five year deal and the manager said to me, 'I want you to stay. I told him I'm not playing enough.
"When I was playing, I was picking up hamstring injuries because I wasn't playing enough. It doesn't matter how much money you are offered, I thought I can't keep doing this.
"It was the same with James Milner, he was offered lots of money to stay. As a player, especially in the Premier League, if you get offered to play somewhere regularly, you have to take it.
"That's me anyway, it's the sort of person I am. I'm not going to stay on the bench or at home on the weekends just for more money.
"I was speaking to Inter as well with Mancini. They tried to get me in January but that didn't materialise. I spoke to him afterwards but I wanted to come back to England.
"I didn't want to be out in Italy, then the manager gets sacked and I'm fighting for my place in the same situation. That's one of the main reasons I chose to come back."
